Canalina wrote:Tuesday evening curiosity: the nation with the highest ranking (men's XV) between those which have never played in a World Cup (XV or 7s, men or women) is Belgium, currently 28th.

I like the idea, but I would make that statistic divided by gender and XVs and 7s. The women's ranking is still to screwed, so it makes no sense to use it at all outside the top10. Nobody knows better than you, Canalina. For all the others: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=366&hilit=world+ranking

So for men the first nation who never took part in a XVs world cup is Hong Kong at 22nd.The worst who took part is Ivory Coast at 51st.

The only sad thing about this is: it won't matter, because at the RWC there will most likely be the 20 top teams in the world. Because you get so many points for qualifying that you overtake every team not qualified.

How to grow rugby worldwide?Look at the world ranking in July. Teams ranked 1-10 have to play one team from 11-20 (they don't play in a regular competition) away the next year. 11-20 play 21-30 away and so on. Yes, it really is that simple.

After having promised (?) to both Madagascar and Uganda a pair of matches in their countries on February 21 and 24, Czech Republic is going to play in those same days against a local selection in Malta. They're like a volatile girl

Canalina wrote:After having promised (?) to both Madagascar and Uganda a pair of matches in their countries on February 21 and 24, Czech Republic is going to play in those same days against a local selection in Malta. They're like a volatile girl

victorsra wrote:Azerbaijan - like Armenia - need a Caucasian rugby scene to exist. Their amateur national team plays in Europe but it is really far from the rest of the continent. Their answer is in Georgia and Southern Russia, but how are those relations? It is really odd to neighbour a country like Georgia and have almost zero rugby. Is it hard for amateur to cross to Georgia an play there?

They are failing in creating a regional scene. Why is what I would like to understand.

An article about armenian rugby hardly trying to re-live from its ashes, with a new federation of few enthusiasts.The intro line seems exaggerated ("during the soviet era Armenian rugby was champion of URSS") but the article is appreciable http://papiers-armenie.fr/2018/02/13/ar ... nion-team/

Their archeologists have unearthed a stone with an inscription "the oldest stone on earth" !

And they have adopted Christianity in the 3rd century before Christ !

@

olivier wrote:For info, A means assistant.

Is this the actual meaning of "A" in the A teams? I didn't know.Anyway many national teams renamed recently their A side: Saxons, Wolfhounds, Emerging... and now these French Barbarians. Also Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe must have a proper name for their second squad, even if I don't remember which anymore

It will be tough to break into the first team but I can’t think of a better club to hone your skills in Argentina. Apparently, Servette's sporting director played at Hindú in the early 2000's. Gonzalo Quesada facilitated the move.

Armchair Fan wrote:We may help you if you are more precise. Pacific Challenge is an A sides tournament, like Americas-Pacific Challenge.

When I've came across this fact fileit was showing something very absurd: final scoreline + cherry picked events

I should have taken screenshot - since then WR staff APPARENTLY put things inTO order

That's why I was asking what all that meant

Looks for me like everything what a ref would write down: scorers and substitutes or did I miss something?

How to grow rugby worldwide?Look at the world ranking in July. Teams ranked 1-10 have to play one team from 11-20 (they don't play in a regular competition) away the next year. 11-20 play 21-30 away and so on. Yes, it really is that simple.

In amateur games that's what the ref would keep track of. I am aware that this is different in more professional setup. But technically the score-keeper is indeed a part of the referee-team. So the question is not, why is this there, but why is it not there in every game.

How to grow rugby worldwide?Look at the world ranking in July. Teams ranked 1-10 have to play one team from 11-20 (they don't play in a regular competition) away the next year. 11-20 play 21-30 away and so on. Yes, it really is that simple.